


Just Talk Back

by EmAndFandems



Category: Good Omens (TV), Good Omens - Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
Genre: Banter, Caring Aziraphale (Good Omens), Crowley has Trauma from the Fall (Good Omens), Dialogue-Only, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Insecure Crowley (Good Omens), M/M, Mentioned Gabriel (Good Omens), Post-Canon, The Arrangement (Good Omens), and then bickerflirting, look sometimes you just need to write one character reassuring the other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-14
Updated: 2020-09-14
Packaged: 2021-03-07 01:20:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 884
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26458582
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmAndFandems/pseuds/EmAndFandems
Summary: “Would you— y'know. How would you have… thought of me.”“…You're asking if I would love an unfallen version of you?”“Unf. Not to put too fine a point on it, angel, sure.”
Relationships: Aziraphale/Crowley (Good Omens)
Comments: 46
Kudos: 225





	Just Talk Back

**Author's Note:**

> Title from Queen's "Back Chat" and taken wildly out of context for my own purposes, as usual.

“Do you ever wonder—?”

“Wonder what?”

“Nothing. Forget it.”

“No, really, what?”

“…What if, y'know? If things had been different. What then.”

“I-I don't understand.”

“No, I'm not making much sense, am I?”

“Explain? If you don't mind, my dear. I'd like to hear what you mean.”

“Mmmmyeah. If I… If we weren't— It's stupid really. You don't want to hear.”

“Haven't I just said I do? I do, Crowley, please.”

“Just— what things would be like if it hadn't all happened the way it did. If stuff changed.”

“That's not very specific.”

“Nope.”

“Did you… Do you have something in mind? …Crowley?”

“Yeah?”

“Are you alright?”

“Yeah. Course I am.”

“It's just that you seem to be… Well, I would never dare to suggest that anyone as fearsome as you would be crying, but—”

“I'm not crying—”

“I didn't say you were.”

“Hmph. Well good. Cuz I'm not.”

“Naturally. But. It would be alright if you were, you know. Hypothetically. It isn't anything to be ashamed of.”

“Hardly relevant, is it? Seeing as I'm definitely not crying.”

“Okay. Did you have something you wanted to say?”

“Mrggh. Maybe. I was just— thinking. If I… would you have… and then…?”

“I'm afraid I'm going to need a bit more than that to go on.”

“If we weren't hereditary enemies, I mean.”

“Oh. If you hadn't… I see.”

“Yeah.”

“Then what?”

“That's my question.”

“Ah. Hm. What are you asking about, in particular?”

“Would you— y'know. How would you have… thought of me.”

“…You're asking if I would love an unfallen version of you?”

“Unf. Not to put too fine a point on it, angel, sure.”

“I…”

“You don't have to answer—”

“No, I want to.”

“But you aren't.”

“I'm trying. I'm sorry.”

“Don't apologize, was my stupid question in the first place, forget it, really, I—”

“Crowley, please.”

“…Sorry.”

“It's fine. I'm just having difficulty with the concept of the question, I think, because I never knew you then. Before. I don't know who you were.”

“Just me.”

“Yes, of course, and I love you—”

“Aw.”

“Oh psh, you know that. Don't interrupt, darling. As I was saying: I love you as you are, and as I have known you; I have to assume I would love you as you were. All of you, always. I thought you knew.”

“Yeah, but— Would've been different. Not just… not just me, but. Dunno, everything. No secret meetings or, or whatever excitement you found in having this forbidden friendship, whatever the Arrangement was to you, and—”

“Is that what you think?”

“Um.”

“You think I only wanted our Arrangement because it was... what, thrilling? To have a secret, to be doing something wrong? Well. Wrong by their standards, at any rate. Do you honestly believe that's what you were to me?”

“I… Sometimes.”

“You're— Crowley. My dear, sweet Crowley. Beloved. You were never just— just a cheap thrill. The appeal of the Arrangement was never excitement, I didn't… I didn't even like those bits. The scary parts. The fear, the constant anxiety. You know what all that did to my poor nerves.”

“I have a high respect for your nerves. They are my old friends. I have heard you mention them with consideration these last twenty years at least. ”

“Yes, very funny. Anyway. I agreed to the Arrangement because it was  _ you _ suggesting it.”

“Not just as a way to slack off work?”

“Admittedly that was a bonus.”

“Ha!”

“Oh, don't. You were worse at your job than I ever was.”

“That's completely untrue and you know it. Can't even run a bookshop properly.”

“Oh! Now you're just being rude.”

“There, you see? That's in the job description. Still got it.”

“You're ridiculous.”

“You like it.”

“I love it. I love you.”

“Eugh… I love you too.”

“What was that?”

“Said I love you too, and you heard me. Dunno why I bothered repeating it.”

“Perhaps you like saying it.”

“Mmm, no. That can't be it.”

“Whatever you say, my dear. But I hope you understand now?”

“Understand what?”

“I would love you in any way I could. It's not the hellfire in you I love. If we had known each other in Heaven, if you'd been my coworker—”

“Perish the thought!”

“Well, I must confess I can't quite picture that. Lined up beside Gabriel.”

“Twat.”

“Rather. But if you had been there, alongside me… It would still be you.”

“Not the same, though.”

“No, not the same. But neither of us are the same as we used to be, are we? Nobody is. We've changed as time went on, same as anybody.”

“More than most.”

“Granted, but we're very old.”

“Bloody ancient.”

“Mmm. Do you remember that lyre player from— what was it, '37?”

“Which century?”

“Good question.”

“And which calendar?”

“Hmph. You'd think they would stop fiddling about with the things. How anyone is meant to manage inventory when every now and then they up and change what year it is…!”

“Oh the trials you suffer.”

“Dratted serpent, making light of the agonies of running my business. My perfectly legitimate and smoothly-managed business.”

“Thou shalt not lie, angel.”

“Thou shalt not blaspheme, demon.”

“Does scripture have anything to say about kissing angels?”

“Oh, it's highly recommended.”

“Yeah? Whatever translation you're using, I'd like a copy.”

**Author's Note:**

> Crowley, of course, quotes Mr Bennet from Jane Austen's "Pride & Prejudice."  
> Find this story on tumblr [here!](https://lazarusemma.tumblr.com/post/629217113171787776/do-you-ever-wonder-wonder-what-nothing)


End file.
